Contact printer



Dec. 14, 1943. c wo s ETAL 2,336,663

CONTACT PRINTER Filed Aug. 31 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 Z" mm W N L Dec.14, 1943. Q R WQLTERS ETAL 2,336,663

CONTACT PRINTER Filed Aug. 31, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 14,1943 2,336,683 CONTACT mm'ran Carl F. Walters, Kenmore,

and Allan H. Tober,

asaignors to Remington Band Application August 31, 1940, Serial No.355,064 6 Claims. (CI. 95-73) This invention relates to improvements incontact printers used in photography for making light transfer prints.

The invention provides a photographic printer designed for use in smallofllces and similar places that do not have a suflicient volume ofphotographic copy work to require the installation of a dark room andpersonnel skilled in handling this type of work. The printer of thepresent invention may therefore be used without the provision of a darkroom or other special equipment in making photographic copies ofdocuments of various kinds. It is the purpose of the invention toprovide a printer that will produce copies of letter and legal sizedsheets and other similar documents, drawings and the like up to possiblythree or four times the size of the usual letter sheet.

The printer of the present invention will produce prints of documents inan efficient and economical manner without the aid of a skilledoperator.

The invention provides a photographic printer having a sheet metalcasing open at the top where a copy plate and light diffusing plate aresupported in superimposed relation over a suitable source of electriclight, while a timing device and control switch for the light isprovided on one side of the casing for controlling the light in adesired manner so that it may be timed automatically for the printingoperation. A cover is provided on this casing that may be readilyremoved and attached thereto. This cover carries a suitable pressure padconstruc tion for pressing the sheet of sensitized paper and thedocument to be copied into intimate relation with each other against theface of the copy plate when the cover is moved into closed position.

The invention also provides a base unit for supporting the printercasing arranged to detachably receive the bottom of the printer casingin a socket formed in the top thereof for detachably mounting the baseunit and printer casing together. A drawer provided in the base unitfacilitates the use of the printer through containing the sensitizedpaper sheets used for printing documents in a convenient manner. Whenthe drawer is closed the sensitized paper is shielded from light. Thepaper is not so highly sensitized that the light in the ordinary omcewill effect it to an appreciable extent so long as the drawer is notkept open too long.

The printer is constructed of sheet metal and arranged to provide foreconomical manufacture of the printer casing and base unit through theuse of similar bottom wall members for both the casing and base unit,while the side wall structure is made in a convenient manner to producea structure incorporating simplicity in design as well as forconvenience of assembly. including the arrangement of light supportingbrackets on the bottom to provide for uniform distribution of the lightin the casing.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the printer in perspective with the cover in open position.

Fig. 2 shows the base unit in perspective in position under the printeras shown in Fig. 1 in disassembled relation, but arranged in its properposition to receive the bottom of the printer in the socket portionprovided in the top of the unit.

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the printer with the copy plate and lightdiffusing plates shown v with portions broken away to illustrate thelight bulbs and structure for mounting them in the bottom of the casing,the cover of the printer being in the open position as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a vertical transverse cross-section through the printertaken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing how the base unit isapplied to the printer casing, the drawer in the base unit being shownin elevation and portions of the latch for holding the cover in closedposition also. being shown in elevation.

Fig. 5 shows a fragmentary cross-section through oneend of the printerassembled with the base unit taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows a detailed fragmentary cross-section illustrating theconstruction and mounting of the stop links for the cover.

Fig. 7 shows an enlarged detail view illustrating the inside face of thecam latch carried by the cover for holding it in closed position.

The printer has a casing l formed of sheet metal. The side walls 2 andend walls 3 are formed of two pieces of sheet metal one of which isformed to provide the front side wall shown in Fig. 1, and the two endwalls 3 while the other piece of sheet metal is formed to provide theback side wall and has its ends, suitably spot welded or the like, tothe end walls to form a tubular shell.

The upper edges of the side and end walls are folded inwardly uponthemselves as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Angle members I are mounted on theinner faces of side and end walls 2 and 3 and extend entirely around theinner upper end of the tubular shell, being spaced a slight distancebelow the upper edge thereof to form a seat for removably receiving andsupporting a light diffusing plate and a transparent glass copy plate 6in superimposed relation. The upper face of copy plate 6 is disposedslightly above the upper edge of side and end walls 2 and 3respectively. By having the upper face of plate 6 supported above theupper edges of side and end walls 2 and 3 respectively, paper sheetssupported thereon can have the edge portions overhang the side edges ofthe printer while they are being held against the face of copy plate 6for printing from a portion of a sheet larger than the copy plate.Handles 1 are mounted on end walls 3 so that the printer may beconveniently carried.

A bottom wall member 8 is formed with laterally extending flanges 9around the edges thereof, offset inwardly at iii, to provide marginalportions ii on said flanges arranged to slide in tele= scoping relationinside the side and end walls 2 and 3 of the tubular shell, so that thelower end of said shell seats against said ofiset portion Ill forming aseat for limiting the sliding movement of the bottom wall member on theshell. The bottom'wall member 8 closes the bottom of the tubular shelland is suitably spot welded or otherwise permanently secured to theshell to form the printer casing.

Angle brackets l2 have one end secured to bottom wall 8 in the mannershown in Figs. 3 and 4 to position the other end in upwardly extendingrelation. The upwardly extending portions of each bracket member l2 arearranged in spaced parallel relation diagonally relative to bottom 8 andare aligned longitudinally of the center portion of bottom 8 from end.to end thereof. Alternate brackets l2 face in one dimotion and theintermediate brackets in the opposite direction in order to provide formounting suitable type of electric light sockets l3, so that one socketwill be mounted on each angle bracket l2 with alternate sockets facingin one direction and intermediate sockets facing in the oppositedirection, as shown in Fig.3. This provides for the mounting of electriclight bulbs I 3 so as to position the filaments therein in spacedaligned relation in two rows so arranged that the light from the severalbulbs in the casing will be substantially equally distributed therein.The inner faces of the bottom, side and end walls in casing i may bepainted with a light reflecting coating.

A suitable form of detachable plug and socket structure is mounted inthe rear side wall 2, as indicated at i5, the plug being connected to anextension cord adapted for plugging the printer into the electriccircuit in one of the usual receptacles found in oflice buildings andthe like. The interior of the casing is wired to providecircuitconnections between the plug and socket structure I5 and each ofthe lamp sockets l3 in a conventional manner.

A suitable conventional form of electric switch i6 is mounted on endwall 3 in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 for controlling thecircuit to lamp bulbs l4 so that it may be manually turned on and oil asdesired. A suitable conventional form of timing switch i1 is alsomounted in one end wall 3, as shown in Fig. 1, adjacent to switch i6.Switch I1 is included in the circuit to lamp bulbs M in serieswith'switch I6 for providing a further control of the electric circuitto lamp bulbs M. With switches 16 and I1 the current to lamp bulbs M canbe controlled so that when switch 16 is turned on the circuit will bepartially completed for energizing electric lamps i4 and thensubsequently completed by the operation of timing switch I1.

Timing switch l'l may be set to control the circuit to lamp bulbs I4 sothat it is closed for a definite period of time automatically determinedby the timing mechanism within the switch structure. This timingmechanism is of conventional form and is usually provided with amanually operated knob as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 for setting apointer on an indicator dial to indicate the amount of time it isdesired to have the circuit on for photographic printing purposes. 'Thenan operating handle on the switch is adapted for movement to close thecircuit and release the timing mechanism for operation to close thecircuit to lamps id for the determined. period of time for which'theswitch has been set, whereupon the circuit to lamps I4 is automaticallyopened.

Sheet metal holder I8 is mounted in an opening in the front side wall 2for an indicator glass IE to indicate to the operator of the printerwhen the circuit in the casing for energizing lamp bulbs i4 is closedand the lights are energized.

A cover 20 is provided for the printer and is mounted for hingingmovement on the rear side wall 2. A pair of hinge members 2| are mountedin spaced relation on rear side wall 2 at the upper edge thereof andcarrying hinge pintles 22 projecting from one side thereof, to slidablyreceive hinge members 23 carried by the rear edge of cover 20. With thishinge construction, hinge members 23 can be slidably movedlongitudinally relative to the rear side wall for engagement anddisengagement in hinged relation with hinge spindles 23. In the engagedrelation the parts are positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1, so thatcover 20 may be moved into open or closed position on the casing forcovering copy plate 6 in the closed position.

The inner face of cover 20 carries a sponge rubber pad 24 securedthereto by a suitable adhesive or the like. A sheet, of what is known inthe trade as pebble rubber 25, is suitably secured by adhesive or thelike to the surface of sponge rubber pad 24 with the pebbled facedirected outwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. The protrusions on the face ofthe sheet will engage copy plate 6 when the cover is closed or thesurface of a sheet or sheets (see S in Figs. 4 and 5) of sensitizedpaper and documents supported on copy Plate 6 for pressing them intointimate contact with the entire surface of copy plate 6 to obtain clearphotographic prints.

The movement of the cover into open position is limited by stop links 26pivotally mounted in the ends of cover 20 near hinge members 23 as shownin Figs. 1 and 6, and have the free ends formed with hooked projections21. The free ends of stop links 26 extend through slots 28 in theinturned edges of end walls 3 and slots 29 in angle bars 4, so that thecover can be moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the closedposition, as illustrated in Fig. 4. When the cover is moved to the openposition of Fig. 1, latches 26 gravitate into the position shown in Fig.6 where hooked projections 21 will engage under angle bars 4 forlimiting the opening movement of the cover to a position where the upperfree edge is positioned rearwardly of the vertical plane of rear wall 2and hinge pintles 22, where the cover will remain in the open position.

Stop links 25 also operate in their engaged position in slots 23 and 23to retain hinge members 23 in engaged relation on pinties 22 againstaxial sliding movement thereon, so that the cover can not be removedfrom the casing through disengagement of the hinge members while stoplinks 26 are engaged in slots 29 and 29. In order to remove cover 23from the casing, stop links 26 are manually operated to disengage thehooked ends 21. from slots 23 and 29 as the cover is moved to openposition. As soon as stop links 26 are disengaged from slots 29 they arethen free of the casing and cover may then be moved longitudinallyrelative to the rear side wall 2 for disengaging hinge members 23 fromhinge pintles 22. When the cover is thus disengaged from casing I,documents having a size larger than that of copy plate I may be placedon copy plate 6 to print the portions of such larger sheets.

A latch member is mounted on cover 29 for holding it in closed position.This latch member has an angular sheet metal supporting member 39mounted on cover 20 with one end projecting downwardly from the centralfree edge of the cover, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The downwardlyprojecting end is formed to provide a housing with a bearing portion 3|rotatably mounting handle shaft 32 having handle 33 on the outer endthereof. Handle shaft 32 carries a cam latch 34 at the inner end, asshown in Fig. 7, for cooperation with a roller 35 mounted on stud 36secured to the upper central portion of front side wall 2. Cam latch 34is provided with a notch 31 for receiving the end of latch spring 39adapted to hold latch 34 and handle 33 in the disengaged positionthereof with respect to roller 35.

This provides a latch construction for holding cover 20 in closedposition and further for camming cover 29 downwardly against copy plate6 for compressing sponge rubber pad 24 to resiliently press and forcepaper sheets on top of the copy plate into intimate contact therewith,throughout the surface of the sheet, the pebbled face of sheet 25engaging the paper sheet positioned on copy plate 6 in this compressingoperation.

The operator of the printer operates handle 33 from its disengagedposition as shown in Fig. 3 whenever the cover is moved into closedposition for camming cover 29 downwardly and compress- .ing spongerubber pad 24 during the printing operation, and then subsequentlymanually moves handle 33 to the disengaged position before raising thecover to the open position in Fig. 1, when the operation may be repeatedfor the subsequent printing of other sheets.

A detachable base unit 40 is provided for detachable mounting on thebottom of printer casing l to support the printer in a convenientmanner. The unit 49 is provided with side walls 4] and end walls 42formed of sheet metal in a manner substantially similar to the structureof casing I. A bottom wall member 43 is attached to the sheet metalshell structure forming the side and end walls 4i and 42. Bottom wallmember 43 is a duplicate in construction of bottom wall member 9 butslightly larger in size and has ofl'set side flanges forming a seat toreceive the lower edges of side and end walls 4i and 42 in the mannerillustrated in Fig. 4. This bottom wall member is secured to the sideand end walls in the same manner as bottom wall 9 is secured to the sideand end walls in the construction of easing I.

The upper portion of the side and end walls receive a top member 44having laterally extending edge flanges formed to slidably engage theinner faces oi the side and end walls at the top of base unit 4i in themanner shown in Fig. 2. These flanges are suitably secured by spotwelding or the like to mount top portion 44 slightly below the upperedges of side and end walls 4i and "respectively. This provides a socketin the upper end of base unit 49 to receive the bottom portion of easingi in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4. Threaded bolts 45 with wing nuts43 are extended through aligned openings in top member 44 and bottom 4to detachably secure casing l to base unit 40.

The front side wall 4| of base unit 40 is formed with an opening todefine a drawer compartment for receiving drawer 41. The bottom portionof the drawer 41 is slidably supported on drawer guides 48 formed ofoffset sheet metal strips mounted on bottom wall member 43 as shown inFigs. 4 and 5.

A resilient latch construction 49 having parts respectively carried bythe drawer and rear side portion of bottom unit 40 cooperate in theclosed position of drawer 41 to retain the drawer in closed positionagainst accidental sliding movement outwardly from the base unit. Thislatch construction may be disengaged by manually withdrawing the drawerthrough manual engagement with a suitable form of handle 50 provided onthe frontface of said drawer. Projecting posts iii are mounted in therear corners of drawer 41 and project above the upper edges of the sidewalls thereof for engaging the inner front portion of base unit 49 tonormally prevent detachment of drawer 41 therefrom in the usual slidingmovement of the drawer into open position.

This drawer 41 provides a convenient storage space for sensitized sheetsto be used in the printer. Base unit 49 is constructed for detachablemounting on the bottom of printer casing l to provide a compact unitstructure for supporting the printer and housing sensitized paper foruse therein in a convenient manner.

The unit is detachable so that the printer may be separated therefrom orsold without the base unit for use by those who have other facilitiesfor storing the sensitized paper. In detached relation the base unit maybe also used wherever desired for housing the sensitized sheets or otherarticles in the drawer.

Documents as referred to herein shall be interpreted to include lettersize sheets, legal size sheets, small drawings and all other papersheets and cards of similar size and of any shape, and shall includesheet and other materials other than paper. Documents having a size lessthan copy plate 6 may be placed face down upon the copy plate and asensitized sheet placed thereover for producing a print of the documentthrough moving the cover into closed position and compressing the spongerubber pad against the top surface of the sheet to hold them in intimatecontact with the copy plate 8, while switches i6 and I! are operated toenergize the electric circuit for lighting lamps [4 to produce a desiredamount of light, for a limited time suflicient to provide thephotographic print on the sensitized sheet. The light diffusing plate isof suitable semi-transparent material of suitable form for diffusing thelight from the lamp bulb, the material being obtainable in commerce inthin sheet form of the character disclosed in the drawings. The timeswitch I! is operated so that the light will produce the print while thecover is held in closed position through the operation of handle 33. inthe manner above described. After each exposure in the printer the coveris then moved to the open position shown in Fig. 1 and the sensitizedsheet is then placed in suitable developing, fixing, and washingsolutions in the usual manner for developing the print of the document.

It is to be understood that any other desired form of light producingstructure may be employed in casing l in place of lamp bulbs l i itbeing preferable to use commercial forms of lamp bulbs of either thefilament or gaseous type having desired light producing characteristicsthat are particularly adaptable for photographic printing. Thecommercial form of lamp bulb installation illustrated in the drawingsusing bulbs I4 is highiy'desirable due to the fact that a good qualityand distribution of light can be obtained for printing purposes and thebulbs readily replaced at a low cost whenever necessary. The copy plateand light diffusing plate are easily removed from the seat in the upperend of casing l for inserting and replacing bulbs i4 whenever desired.Any suitable means such as spring clips or the like, not shown, may beused for retaining plates 5 and 6 in the seat against accidentaldisplacement therefrom.

Whenever sheets larger than the size of copy plate 6 are to be placed onthe printer for printing portions thereof, cover is removed from thecasing during the printing operation and any suitable means availablefor holding the paper sheets against the copy plate may be appliedthereover during the printing operation.

This construction provides a very convenient and easily operableprinting device for making photographic prints of small documents of allkinds. The printer may be placed on a desk or table in any ofiicewithout the provision of a, dark room.

Through the use of a suitable grade of sensitized paper that may be keptin the drawer in the base unit, sheets of this sensitized paper may beused for making prints and then subsequently developed in open trayswithout the provision of a dark room. This provides a structur forconveniently making photographic prints of documents in all smalloifioes and similar places to obtain prints quickly at small cost ascompared with the delay usually occasioned in sending documents out andobtaining commercial prints.

The invention claimed is:

1. A contact printer, comprising a tubular shell formed of sheet metalproviding side and end walls, a sheet metal bottom wall member Securedto the bottom edges of said side and end Walls to form a rigid assembledcasing open only at the top, angle members extending around the innertop margin of said tubular shell spaced from the top edge to form a seatin cooperation with the top edges of said casing, a light diffusingplate having its marginal edge portions engaging said seat, atransparent copy plate superimposed on said light difi'using plate anddetachably engaged in said seat for removal of both of said plates toprovide access to the entire interior of said casing, said angle membersbeing arranged at the top of said side and end walls to support saidplates in a position so the copy plate lies in the plane of the topedges of said side and end walls, a plurality of brackets mounted insaid bottom in spaced relation for mounting electric bulbs forilluminating the interior of said casing, said brackets being accessiblefor attaching and reof said casing over said plates in the closedposition, and resilient means on the inner face of said cover forengaging and holding sheets against said copy plate in the closedposition of said cover.

2. A contact printer, comprising a casing formed with bottom, side, andend walls and having an open top portion, angle members mounted on theside and end walls adjacent the open top portion and forming incooperation therewith a seat at the upper open end of said casing,lighting means mounted in said casing below said seat, a light diffusingand copy plate detachably mounted on said seat, said seat cooperating tosupport said copy plate in the Plane of the upper free edges of saidcasing, a cover for the top of said casing formed of imperiorate sheetmaterial, said cover being formed to engage over the open upper end ofsaid casing in the closed position thereof, a resilient pressure padmounted in said cover for holding sheet material against said copy platein the closed position of said cover, means on the cover and casingdetachably interengaged for hinging said cover at one edge thereof tosaid casing, and normally operative stop means for limiting the movementof said cover also normally operative to prevent disengagement of thehinge connection of said cover to said casing, said last named meansbeing manually operable into inoperative position to provide fordisengagement of the cover hinge connection from the casing wherebysheets of larger size than said copy plate and casing may have portionsplaced on said copy plate with other portions overhanging the edges ofthe casing when said cover is removed.

3. A contact printer, comprising a casing open at the upper end, a copyplate mounted at the gagement and disengagement of said parts fordetachably mounting the cover on the casing through longitudinalmovement of the cover relative to the side wall of said casing inengaging and disengaging the hinged parts in hinging relation, and stoplinks mounted on the cover and normally cooperating with the casing inthe engaged relation of the cover on the casing for retaining the hingeparts in engaged relation against detachment, said links being manuallyoperable for detachment when it is desired to remove the cover from thecasing.

4. A contact printer, comprising a casing open at the upper end, a copyplate mounted at the upper end of said casing and closing the openingtherein, a source of light in the casing, a cover for the upper end ofsaid casing extending over said copy plate in closed position, aresilient pressure pad mounted on the inside of said cover for pressingsheets against said copy plate in the closed position of the cover,complementary hinge members on one edge of the cover and the upper edgeof one wall of said casing interengageable by movement of the coverhinge parts longitudinally relative to the plane or the side wall, andstop links pivotally mounted on the cover and slidably engaged in thecasing, said stop links having the ends formed to provide retaininghooks for limiting the opening movement oi the cover relative to thecasing, said stop links normally operating to retain the cover hingedlyconnected to the casing and being manually operable for disengagementfrom the easing whereby the cover hinge parts may be detached to removethe cover therefrom.

5. A contact Printer, comprising a casing having a single compartmentopen at one side, a copy plate mounted on said casing and closing saidopen side, a cover for said open side, hinge means having a casingcarried part and a cover carried part formed for detachableinterengagement and hinging movement in interengaged relation forhingedly connecting said cover to said casing, and link means connectingsaid cover to said casing in the engaged relation of said hinge meansfor limiting the hinging movement of said cover and for retaining saidhinge parts in interengaged relation against detachment, said link meansformed for manual operation to disconnect the cover and casing andrelease said hinge parts for detachment of the cover from said casing.

6. A contact printer, comprising a casing open at the upper end, a copyplate on said open upper end, a cover for said open upper end movablyattached to said casing, carrying handles on the sides of said casing,and a base unit for said casing having a bottom wall and side wallsextending upwardly therefrom, a top member mounted at the upper edgeportions oi said side walls and having upwardly extending marginalflanges forming an upwardly opening socket at the top of said unitformed of a size and shape to receive the bottom portion of said casingtherein, and means for securing said base unit to said casing wherebysaid base unit will be carried about with said casing by said handles onsaid casing.

CARL F; WOLTERS. ALLAN H. TOBER.

